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Montana/Region

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Environmental groups are seeking to defend a new federal rule that would restrict how oil companies burn off excess natural gas extracted from public lands.

Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota are pressing a federal lawsuit in Wyoming seeking to block a rule that President Barack Obama's administration issued in November requiring certain companies to capture natural gas instead of burning it off.

BOZEMAN, Mont. — The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center has issued a backcountry avalanche warning for the mountains near Cooke City, the Lionhead area near West Yellowstone along with the Southern Madison and Southern Gallatin ranges.

POLSON, Mont. — From his cozy office atop a hill on the south end of town, Thomas Acevedo can see the impressive reach of Flathead Lake stretching into the northern horizon beyond his home — the Flathead Indian Reservation — and providing a vital source of sustenance to the region.

From the same perch, he can envision the continued growth of a family of Salish and Kootenai businesses under his watch that are setting a global standard among tribally owned companies, reported the Flathead Beacon.

BILLINGS, Mont. — Businesses and government officials in eastern Montana increasingly are pinning their hopes on tourism now that the recent oil boom has subsided.

Drilling in the Bakkan shale in nearby North Dakota pumped millions into the economy of eastern Montana before falling off a few years ago. Now, cities in the area now are working to improve tourist attractions and trying to use newly built hotel rooms to attract groups and events.

An estimated 10,000 geese landed on the pit during a snow storm Monday night. MR environmental affairs manager Mark Thompson told The Montana Standards that about 90 percent of the birds have left, but a few hundred stragglers remained on Friday.

Some of the birds have died and company officials say things don't look good for the remaining birds that have resisted hazing.

CANNON BALL, N.D. — So far, the hundreds of protesters fighting the Dakota Access pipeline have shrugged off the heavy snow, icy winds and frigid temperatures that have swirled around their large encampment on the North Dakota grasslands.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump supports completion of the disputed Dakota Access oil pipeline in the Midwest, based on policy and not the billionaire businessman's investments in a partnership building the $3.8 billion pipeline, according to an aide's memo.

Spokesman Bryan Lanza said in a memo this week to supporters that Trump's backing for the pipeline near a North Dakota Indian reservation "has nothing to do with his personal investments and everything to do with promoting policies that benefit all Americans."

Thursday's closure prohibits the launch or removal of any boat, dock or other structure from either reservoir that could potentially transport mussels, said Mark Wolcott, the incident commander of the rapid response team created to address the issue.